Successful automotive vehicle design requires consideration of numerous diverse design objectives. Components comprising the automobile must often meet criteria ranging from strength and durability to style and comfort. Moreover, increased functionality combined with ease of installation are also important vehicle design characteristics.
The prior art teaches an automotive seat that includes a seat cushion, and a backrest pivotally mounted to the seat cushion so that the backrest may be reclined at a selected angle relative to the seat cushion for comfort. To improve seat comfort, a headrest is often defined on the upper portion of the backrest, for example, by supporting a cushion atop the backrest using a pair of posts that are slidably received in complementary guides defined in the upper portion of the backrest frame. Actuation mechanisms for the backrest and head restraint are often assembled as integral components of the vehicle seat. Given the large number of vehicle designs, this approach leads to an equally large number of actuation designs.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved seatback controls that can be installed in a variety of automobile designs.